static kill. bp prepares to plug its broken well for good as the company defends its use of chemical dispersants in the gulf. running scared. nervous democrats fear losing their house majority as as anot veteran lawmaker faces ethics charges. jail break. the manhunt for two convicted killers after a daring escape from an arizona prison. this is the "cbs morning news" for monday, august 2, 2010. well, good morning, everybody, and thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. we start with this, because if all goes well in the gulf today, and that is a big if, bp could begin the next to last step in permanently plugging its deep sea oil well. it's called a static kill and

involves pumping heavy drilling mud and cement into the well. even if it works, the clean-up will condition and that could be complicated by the use of dispersants to break up the oil. >> reporter: bp's point man on the clean jam came to venice, louisiana, for a choreographed pr event to tour the gulf. >> thank, guys. >> reporter: but doug suttles was hounded by questions about the company's use of dispersants. what impact do you think the dispersants has had? >> hang on here. >> reporter: not just the dispersants but the frequency of their use. they said the coast guard routinely approved bp's requests to dump thousands of gallons a day to break up the oil, despite a federal order to use them sparingly. >> some of those requests were accepted as they were asked and sometimes they modified those. that process has been running sin the beginning.

>> reporter: bp pumped almost 2 million gallons of dispersants into gulf waters. scientists are divided on what impact that will have on marine life. it's a prospect that worries many fishermen. this man believes the dispersant sank oil into the oyster beds that he fishes. >> we're not going to be able to fish for a couple years. i mean, i've been doing this and i don't know how to do something else. >> reporter: bp says it's getting closer to permanently killing the leak. >> the planning continues and we're working on the relief well just now because we need to get the casing around it, cemented and that's under way rr the first part of the two-step operation will begin as early as monday night, sealing the well by the end of august. but questions about just how much the spill has altered sea life will likely last much longer. venice, louisiana. in other news, firefighters have contained a forest fire north of anchorage, alaska, started by the crash of a mysterious aircraft. the plane went down sunday afternoon in denali national park, which is about 180 miles

north of anchorage. witnesses describe it as a multi-engine cargo plane, possibly a military aircraft. but no planes have been reported missing. now to politics and more potential trouble for democrats seeking to retain control of house in the november election. ethics charges could be filed as early as today against representative maxine waters. tara mergener is in washington with much more on this. good morning, tara. >> reporter: good morning, betty. waters says she did nothing wrong and so far is planning to fight instead of settle. the ten-term democrat is accused of using her influence to secure $12 million in federal bailout funds for a troubled bank tied to her husband. waters denies any wrongdoing. she would join new york congressman charles rangel in fighting charges of misconduct in office. both could face ethics trials this fall, right in the thick of congress's midterm elections. at least 65 house seats, most held by democrats, are at risk

of changing hands. top democrats insist they remain confident but high-profile corruption trials would hand the gop huge issues on a silver plat per. what had been the democrats' ace in the hole isn't what it used to to be. today the republicans are using the president's face and policies to attack. president obama and his staff are said to be well aware that his presence might actually hurt more than it helps. "the new york times" quotes mr. obama as telling vulnerable democrats, you may not even want me to come to your district. one of the president's biggest problems is dissatisfaction with the economy, which he admitted in an interview with cbs's harry smith isn't where he would like it to be. >> but i also knew this was going to be a bumpy road ahead. and i don't expect the american people to be satisfied when we're only half of the way back. >> reporter: as for waters, she did issue a statement saying she's confident there are no

facts to support the allegations. betty, back to you. >> tara mergener joining us live in washington. thank you. and a reminder, you can see more of harry smith's exclusive interview with president obama coming up today on "the early show.." in pakistan they're calling it a super flood, the worst flooding in the country's history. a week of heavy rain sent rivers over their banks in pakistan's northwest, killing at least 1,100 people, wiping out whole villages and destroying crops. the u.n. estimated 1 million people are directly effected. the first of $10 million in u.s. aid arrived in stricken region on sunday. in neighboring afghanistan, the u.s.-led nato coalition is a bit smaller this morning. after four years supporting the fight against the taliban 1,900 dutch soldiers ended their mission. 24 dutch soldiers died.

the deployment was deeply unpopular in holland and disputes over extending the mission helped bring down the dutch government earlier this year. in orbit this morning the international space station is on a reduced power situation after one of two vital cooling systems failed over the weekend. an ammonia pump shut down and the station's six-member crew hustled to turn off equipment to prevent overheating. nasa is planning two emergency space walks to replace the pump. back on earth, a different kind of crisis for businesses operating in dubai and the rest. united arab emirates. a ban on blackberries. the persian gulf country plans to block blackberry services, including e-mail, messaging and web browsing. it calls the devices a security threat but may also have political and moral concerns. on the "cbs moneywatch," stocks in asia climbed higher on news of strong corporate earnings. japan's nikkei gained about 0.30%. allison has the latest. >> reporter: about 100 s&p 500

companies are scheduled to report their earnings this week. new data on june personal spending will be released today. the national association of realtors pending home sales index is also expected. that could give investors a better picture of how the slow economy is impacting the real estate market. new numbers on june factory order and july vehicle sales will lead insight on how the economy is recovering. the market closed slightly down on friday, rebounding for a second day in a row after concerns about economic growth triggered deeper losses. the dow closed down by about a point, the nasdaq was up by three. bp says it will establish a $100 million fund to help rig workers left unemployed. with deep water drilling halted for six months, dozens of rigs are sitting idle in the gulf. bp says they'll pay millions to those forced out of work. those funds are different from bp's $20 million oil

compensation fund. if you planned on picking up a kindle any time soon, amazon.com says, sorry, have you to wait. they have placed a temporarily out of stock notice on it's $189 kindle, which means some americans will have to resort to reading those ancient paperback books on the beach this summer. for now, that's your "moneywatch." for all your business headlines logon to cbsmoneywatch.com. in new york, i'm alison harmelin. just ahead on the morning news -- an arizona senator takes a strong stand against illegal immigration. plus, the fight over proposed mosques near ground zero turns into a national political debate. if you fight to sleep in the middle of the night, why go one more round ? you don't need a rematch, but a rethink. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake.

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in massachusetts, great white sharks have been sighted off cape cod. some beaches have been closed for safety reasons, of course, but plenty of people still went to take a look, even a few were going swimming.

an increase in shark sightings this summer is attributed to the spike in the seal population. two escaped prison inmates from arizona are still on the run this morning. convicted murderers tracy province and john mcclusky have avoided capture since friday. a third escapee was captured in colorado early sunday after a gun battle with police. authorities say they think the two missing prisoners are still in arizona. >> at this point in time the goal is to put pressure on these individuals, box them in where they have few resources and few things they can run to and hopefully they'll dot right thing and self-surrender, surrender themselves. >> they escaped by cutting a hole in a fence. mcclusky's fiancee is suspected of helping and is believed to be traveling with the men. arizona senator john kyl supports his state's immigration law and says the court's ruling blocking the most controversial parts from becoming law was

wrong. senator kyl also says he would like hearings on whether the children of illegal immigrants should automatically become citizens. >> if you are born in the united states, you are a citizen, no matter what. there are limitations on that, for example, children of diplomats and so on. so the question is, if both parents are here illegally, should there be a reward for their illegal behavior? >> the senator says, until the government enforces the laws against illegal immigration, congress will not pass comprehensive reform the debate heats up over a possible mosque near the world trade center in new york city. families of september 11th victims and other opponents are trying to block approval for the controversial islamic center. jay dow has the details. >> reporter: the controversy over a planned islamic center in the shadow of the new towers at ground zero began as a local issue. it would be a travesty to permit this building to be removed. >> islamic-phobia. >> reporter: but the debate has become a national political

football that is playing out in this fall's midterm elections. a republican political action committee's web ad puts the controversy front and center. >> this ground is sacred. where we weep, they rejoice. >> reporter: on the lecture circuit, republicans, including former speaker of the house, newt beginning rich have rallid against it. >> where islamist extremes killed 3,000 americans that she we should tolerate? >> reporter: on her twitter account sarah palin urged peaceful new yorkers to reject the plan, which she described as unnecessary provocation. >> for conservative this is a good issue to talk about because it energizes their business, fit into the largest argument how democrats have taken their eye off the ball in the war against terrorists. >> reporter: the cultural center would be built two blocks north of the world trade center. supporters say it includes a dedicated prayer space but not a traditional mosque. nine years after the world trade

center attacks, just the idea of an islamic center this close to ground zero still carries an enormous amount of raw emotion for a countless number of americans, this is hallowed ground. in a recent quinnipiac university poll 52% of new yorkers said they did not want the mosque built at all. 31% are in favor of it. opponents of the center want the building designated as a historic landmark which would prevent it from being torn down or its exterior altered. they hoped that would delay the project enough to kill it. a decision on the landmark ruling is expected next week. jay dow, cbs news, new york. and straight ahead, your monday morning weather. plus, in sports, the battle of baseball's best. tle of baseball's best. i had this chronic, deep ache all over -- it was a mystery to me. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves.

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here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, showers, 85. miami, partly cloudy, 90. chicago, sunny, 88. denver, partly cloudy, 88. los angeles, sunny and 82. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows clouds stretching from the desert southwest over the rocky mountains and into the northern plains. meanwhile, skies are clear from the southern plains to the pacific coast. later today, it will be sunny and enjoyable on the west coast. in the southern plains, triple digit heat will keep the region baking. there could be some severe storms in the northern plains.

in sports, only one game separates the two best teams in baseball. tampa bay's carl crawford drove in a run on an infield hit against the yankees. and james shields shut out new york, 3-0. the rays have won 8 out of 9 and trail the yankees by a game in the american league east. in the bottom of the ninth inning, boston's marco scutaro bunted down the third baseline and a throwing error gave the red sox a walkoff 4-3 victory over detroit. in the national league, san francisco has won 8 of its last 10 games. edgar renteria of the giants tripled to left center driving in san francisco's only runs in a 2-0 win over the dodgers. the giants remain 1 1/2 games back of san diego and have a 2-game lead over cincinnati in the wild card race. in the 11th inning, jason wurth of philadelphia hit a long double to right center field that bounced off the scoreboard and drove in a run against washington.

phillies beat the nationals 6-4. and the cosmos come back, the reborn new york cosmos has pele has honorary team president. the team hopes to play in new york and eventually join major league soccer to compete with the red bulls who play in new jersey. when we return, another look at had this morning's top stories. and chelsea's big day. good ! ♪ [ female announcer ] nutri-grain -- one good decision... ♪ ...can lead to another. ♪ ♪ ...made with real fruit and now with more of the whole grains your body needs. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. nutri-grain can help you i'm from the gulf coast. my family spends a lot of time here.

i have a personal interest in ensuring that we get this job done right. i'm keith seilhan. i'm in charge of bp's clean up on the gulf coast. bp's taken full responsibility for the clean up, and that includes keeping you informed. over 25,000 people are included in the clean up operation. our crews are cleaning the gulf beaches 24/7. we're going to be here as long as it takes to make this right. and a-c transit management. good morning. i'm john kessler. and i'm sydnie kohara. a judge is expected to rule on whether a-c transit can continue imposing its new bus-driver contract during negotiations. coming up at five: the reason bus drivers still don't seem to be cooperating. a mile- long series of collisions. a drunk driver hits two people, two cars and slams into a pole. his relationship to a san francisco giants player.

she's out of jail now, but not a free woman. lindsay lohan released overnight. where she's headed now. also... what's causing a decline in the use of e-mail. join us for cbs 5 eyewitness news early edition ... beginning at five. good morning... it's monday the on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. there is hot air over the southern plains as giving the region more triple digit heat. severe weather could be found drifting through the northern plains on the way into the great lakes region. here's another look at this morning's top stories. bp hopes to start the process of permanently plugging its broken oil well in the gulf today.

but a new report raises questions about bp's heavy use of chemicals to disperse the spilled oil. and another veteran house democrat, representative maxine waters of california, is being accused of ethics violations. that could make it even harder for democrats trying to regain control of the house come november. it was the event of the year. under a veil of secrecy, chelsea clinton got married over the weekend in front of 400 guests. and for the most part, details remain elusive. manuel gallegus reports from rhinebeck, new york. >> reporter: the streets of rhinebeck filled up again when there was word the newly married couple was heading into town to shop. but it didn't happen. disappointing locals who really wanted to see the bride. >> i've waited hours to see them. >> reporter: they did get to see this bride and groom, who were married sunday. the first look at the newlyweds the world wanted to see came saturday night, the bride escorted down the aisle by her father, a big smile from chelsea

in her vera wang dress. proud groom marc mezvinsky with his powerful in-laws. after the reception that lasted into the wee hours, the clintons had brunch with friends and family at a local estate. all of this media attention has put rhinebeck on everyone's map. and now the owner of the wedding venue is hoping to cash in. the astor courts estate was for sale before the wedding and now it's on the market again. price on request. the house across the street is for sale, too. it was used as a staging ground for the wedding. are you going to drink your clinton wine? >> i'm not quite sure. i have to consult my family. >> reporter: the owner was given a bottle of clinton vineyard wine and was compensated for agreeing to leave her home, though she mroitly declined to say how much. >> like everyone else i was sworn to secrecy about it. and i honored that command. >> reporter: in the end, it was a very private affair for the very public family. and that's the way rhinebeck likes it. manuel gallegus, cbs news, rhinebeck, new york.

this morning on "the early show," an exclusive interview with president obama. i'm betty nguyen. view with president obama. i'm betty nguyen. swiffer 360 duster attracts so much dust, you'll never go back to your old duster. [ funny voice ] hey, duster! wanna attract dust like swiffer 360 duster? then try the magnet hat! ♪ whoa! wow! [ female announcer ] sorry, duster, but swiffer 360 dusters attract dust with over 500,000 fibers and lock it away to clean better than a feather duster. swiffer's built smarter to clean better. ♪ she blinded me with science but women have made olay #1. not surgical results, regenerist is the #1 anti-aging serum and the #1 anti-aging moisturizer. not drastic. just fantastic, younger-looking skin with olay regenerist.

u.s. commanders are warning of more casualties in afghanistan as troops push into the southern region to root out the taliban. back home, the families of the men and women on the battlefield endure a difficult waiting game. correspondent terry mccarthy continues his series following the 3rd battalion first marines, the thundering 3rd. >> reporter: may 11th this year a roadside bomb kills sergeant may and corporal jeffrey johnson in southern afghanistan. half a day later and halfway around the world in southern california, may's wife crystal gets a knock on the door. >> i looked through the peep hole and i saw the marine. immediately i knew that my husband was dead. >> reporter: kenneth may was 26. he and crystal had been high

school sweethearts in kilgore, texas, and were married two years to the day when he was killed. >> this is his purple heart. this is why it's presented to him. of course -- >> reporter: given to anyone who's wounded or killed. >> in combat. >> reporter: in combat. >> reporter: there are some 200,000 military personnel in afghanistan and iraq today. each one has a family waiting back home, anxious for good news -- >> phone calls, e-mails, whatever contact you do get, you just savor every second of it. >> reporter: but fearful they, too, will get that knock on the door. >> is this finally going to be me? is it my turn now to feel this or go through this? it's just -- it's indescribable. it really is. >> reporter: nicole moore says crystal's best friend. her husband jim moore is a sergeant in the same company as ken it's may. >> it has been really tough because while i'm going through day-to-day things with her and helping her with what she's

going through, in the back of my mind is that my husband's still over there. >> reporter: we showed nicole some video we shot of her husband the previous month in afghanistan. >> they say the deployment is harder on the spouse than it is on the marine. and i completely agree. you know, i have to deal with the physical threats here, but that can't be as bad as just not knowing. >> i'm not sure what to think about that other than i'm totally flattered that he respects what we do. >> reporter: what the military spouses do back here is wait, pray and try to live normal lives amidst other people who have no idea what they're going through. >> there really is no military wife 101. >> reporter: nicole can wait for her husband to come home from deployment at the end of november. for crystal, there will be no homecoming. >> we talked about this, as a very likelihood, very likely possibility that it might happen. did i want my husband going to war? no. but that was his choice. >> reporter: each one of the

marines is a volunteer, and they know what they're getting into. for the families back home, dealing with what they don't know is often the hardest battle. terry mccarthy, cbs news, california. and that's the "cbs morning news" for this monday. thanks for watching. hope you'll join us later for "the early show." i'm betty nguyen. have a great day. i'm betty nguyen. have a great day. ,,,,

impo - your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. caption colorado, l.l.c. good morning morning, it's monday, 2nd of august. a couple of weeks ago, the judge